Chewing gum



Patented Feb. 2, 1937.

UNITED STATES cnnwmo GUM George James Manson, Hawkesbury, Ontario,

Canada No Drawing. Application September 28, 1934, Serial No. 746,012

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in chewing gum and to bases formanufacturing the same and isa continuation in part of my applicationSerial No.'653,923 filed January 27,

Chicle, the standard chewing gum, base, is obtained by coagulating themilk or latex of the Achras sapota tree. This tree grows in CentralAmerica and the largest quantity of latex gum or chicle is produced inthe Southern States of Mexico, particularly Yucatan. The Achras sapotatrees are tapped every five to eight years and yield 25 to 40pounds ofgum latex per tapping.

The milky juice is heated in an open vessel over an open fire and themoisture is evaporated until the milk has coagulated (40 to 50%moisture) into a fairly compact mass. It is then wrapped in jute bagsfor export.

It has been recently discovered that the Euphorbia bush in South Africagives a milk or latex which is very similar to the latex from the Achrassapota. A latex called Jelutong is found in British Malaya and the DutchWest Indies. J elutong, when used alone, does not make a satisfactorychewing gum. It is used to dilute chicle.

Various other'substitutes for chicle have been tried, such as guttasica, gutta kay, etc., but

while they will blend with chicle they will not make a satisfactoryproduct if used alone. In addition to the above mentioned inferiorguttas many waxes, balsams and resins, both natural and synthetic havebeen tried as substitutes for chicle, but without success. A great manyof these, however, can be used as adulterants for chicle.

Polymerized vinyl acetate, a synthetic resin, has been tried as asubstitute for chicle, without success. This resin has many advantagesover chicle, but has the unfortunate characteristic of sticking to the.teeth when used as a chewing gum base.

I have found that a blend of polymerized vinyl acetate, sulphur and aplasticizer makes an ideal base for chewing gum. While this base willblend with chicle, it does not require chicle to make a satisfactorychewing gum.

Below are given the proportions of polymerized vinyl acetate, sulphurand plasticizer which, when properly blended, make an excellent base fora chewing gum which is to carry a fairly, high percentage of medicinaloils:

. Parts by weight ,Polymerized-vinyl acetate 100 Sulphur 83 Plasticizer18 The materials may be blended in a mixer heated byoil and agitated byone or more propellers running at' 1500 to 2000 R. P. M. It is verynecessary that the mass be thoroughly agitated while blending.

The polymerized vinyl acetate and sulphur are ground together to aboutan 80 mesh and when the oil in the jacket is at 170 C. about 40 lbs. ofthe ground polymerized vinyl acetate and sulphur are placed in themixer, together with all the plasticizer. When the polymerized vinylacetate and sulphur-are melted and mixed with the plasticizer thebalance of the ground polymerized vinyl acetate and sulphur is slowlyadded so that the mass in the mixer is at all times fairly fluid. Whenthe complete charge is in the mixer the mass is fairly viscous and has atypical sulphur colour.

After about 20 minutes at 150 C. the mass in the mixer becomes lessviscous, flows very smoothly and gradually loses the distinctive sulphurcolour, the irridescent sulphur streaks change to irridescent spots. Themass stays at this consistency for about 25 minutes and then graduallythickens, becoming very smooth. When this stage is reached samplesarewithdrawn and tested for smoothness, smoothness meaning freedom fromvisible sulphur particles. Samples taken throughout the blending show acontinual diminution in the size of the sulphur particle. In'thesesamples the sulphur at first appears as large islands. When the blend iscompleted no sulphur is visible to the eye and the sample when chewed isvery smooth to the ton ue and is free from taste and odour.

It is very difiicult to determine the chemical and physical nature ofthis blend. It is possible that some chemical combinations are formed,but I believe that the change is largely physical and that the baseconsists of a solution of colloidal and 170 C. reaching a temperature of165 C.

170 C. in the last 30 minutes. If. the temperature is too high thepolymerized vinylacetate breaks down and various sulfides or sulfatesare formed which make the product useless as a chewing gum base. If thetemperature is too low the blending requires an extremely long time andthe polymerized vinyl acetate breaks down due to prolonged heating incontact with the sulphur.

I have found that the blend must not be worked or agitated when it isbetween 90 and C. If it is worked or agitated at this stage the sulphurparticles coalesce and the blend becomes very rough and is useless as achewing gum base.

After the base has cooled to about 60 C. it is ready to be made intochewing gum by the addition of sugars and flavoring.

The plasticity of chewing gum made from a chicle base can only be variedover a narrow range by blending chicle from various sources and variousadulterants. The 'plasticity is also affected by the amount and kind offlavoring oil used; The straight sulphur gelva blend as described in myco-pending application Serial No. 653,923 is very hard and brittle. Aplasticizer is used in making this blend for a chewing gum base. Theamount of the plasticizer used is governed by the flavouring oils usedin the finished chewing gum as fiavouring oils have a varied softeningefiect on this base as on chicle. Spearmint oil will soften the basemore than peppermint oil; therefore less plasticizer is used in the basewhich goes into spearmint chewing gum than in a base for peppermintchewing gum. This property of the base is very valuable as it allows theuse of flavouring oils which soften chicle so much that these oilscannot be used with chicle.

Above I have given the proportions of polymerized vinyl acetate, sulphurand plasticizer which make a base suitable for a chewing gum carryingoils beneficial to the head passages. Such oils are menthol, eucalyptusand thyme. Below I give proportions for the finished gum:

Pounds Base as above 100 Sugars 260 Flavouring oils 6 Below I giveproportions for a spearmint chewing gum: I

Below I give proportions for the finished gum:

' Pounds Base as above 100 Sugars 260 Flavouring oil 3 Below I giveproportions for a peppermint chewing gum:

. Pounds Polymerized vinyl acetate 100 Sulphur 83 Plasticizer l 26 BelowI give proportions for the finished gum: Pounds Base as above 100 Sugars260 Flavouring oil 3 The polymerized vinyl acetate sulphur, plasticizerblend has many advantages of decided value over chicle as a chewing gumbase.

A manufacturer using chicle has to carry 9 to 14 months requirements instock. This is not necessary if my base is used as the necessarymaterials can be purchased from stock.

Below I give some of the features in which a chewing gum made from thebase described is superior to a chicle base gum:

(1) Retention of flavour. This is due to the property polymerized vinylacetate has for retaining a solvent, the various fiavouring oils beingsolvents of polymerized vinyl acetate.

(2) It does not stick to floors, clothes, furniture, etc, as chicle,base gum does.

(3) It is a smooth and better chew.

(4) It has a much longer chewing life.

(5) It is made from materials which are pure and wholesome and do notdepend on any purification treatment to achieve these properties.

(6) It has alower cost as the polymerized vinyl acetate sulphurplasticizer base costs about one half of chicle.

I have found that the blend of polymerized vinyl acetate sulphur and aplasticizer blends or mixes with chicle and this mixture can be used asa base for chewing gum. The polymerized vinyl acetate sulphurplasticizer mixture blends in all proportions with chicle. By chicle, Irefer not only to the gum from the Achras Sapota tree, but to Jelutongor any of the substitutes as mentioned in the first part of thespecification, used for or with chicle.

The polymerized vinyl acetate, sulphur, and plasticizer blend gives achewing gum of a light cream yellow colour. This colour can be changedby dyes to any desired shade; i. e. if it is considered desirable tomake the base of the same colour as chicle it can be done by theaddition of suitable dyes. W

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A chewing gum base made from a blend of polymerized vinyl acetate,sulphur and plasticizer.

2. A chewing gum base containing a blend of polymerized vinyl acetate,sulphur and a plasticizer.

3. A chewing gum containing a base made from a blend of polymerizedvinyl acetate, sulphur, plasticizer and chicle.

4. A chewing gum containing a blend of polymerized vinyl acetate,sulphur, plasticizer, sugars and a flavouring oil.

5. A chewing gum containing a base made from a blend -of polymerizedvinyl acetate, sulphur, plasticizer and chicle, together with sugars andfiavouring oils. 1

6. The herein described method of manufacturing a chewing gum base whichcomprises blending a mixture of polymerized vinyl acetate.

sulphur and a plasticizer at a temperature between C. and C. whilesubjecting the mixture to agitation, the temperature being raised duringthe mixture.

7. A chewing gum base made from a blend of substantially 50% polymerizedvinyl acetate, substantially 40% sulphur and substantially 10%plasticizer. V

GEORGE JAMES MANSON.

